Today, I want to talk about 10 of my favorite podcast series that have nourished my life with God in no particular order. I would recommend every podcast on this list. Maybe you will find a new favorite yourself! Just click on the image for any of them and make your way to their podcast feed!

1. Onscript

The Onscript podcast first launched in 2016. I began listening in 2018 or 2019. it has been one of my favorite series ever since. A team of biblical scholars and theologians hosts the series. The hosts rotate interviewing other scholars and focus on recent publications in the fields of biblical studies and theology. Each episode highlights some of the most recent research into Scripture and theology. I never fail to encounter fresh insights into the biblical text. While taking deep dives into academic research, the hosts also keep each episode fun. I also consistently add a new book to my wish list! They do not shy away from any topic. I am always excited to see a new episode in my feed.

2. Ask N. T. Wright Anything

N. T. Wright has been one of my favorite New Testament scholars and theologians for quite a while. Not only is he one of today’s foremost scholars, but he is also a pastor and a bishop. Whenever I read his work, not only do I learn something new about the Scriptures, I find my love for Jesus stronger, and I can’t help but respond in worship and prayer. This podcast brings N. T. Wright’s teaching into a new format. In each episode, he is asked listener questions around a particular topic by a thoughtful host, Justin Brierley. While the answers are less developed than those found in his writings, his answers always force me to reconsider the question. In each episode, not only do we hear Wright’s excellent teaching in his own voice, but his own vibrant faith shines through even more clearly than in the written word. Just as his writings do, the podcast constantly opens me to the good news of Jesus more deeply.

3. Bishop Robert Barron's Sermons

Sometimes called the “Bishop to Social Media”, Bishop Robert Barron has been producing online content for over 20 years from podcasts to blogs to Reddit threads to YouTube videos. Of all his resources, I most frequently return to the podcast version of his weekly sermon. These sermons go back to 2001, but I find each one still resonates. His preaching comprises insights into the biblical text, stories from church history, explanations of theological concepts, and recommended spiritual disciplines. In each sermon, Bishop Barron passionately delivers a message that always lifts up the risen Christ and His discipleship call to follow Him.

4. The Holy Post

The Holy Post is a unique podcast. Co-hosted by Phil Vischer, creator of VeggieTales, each lengthy episode is split into two parts. For the first half of each show, a small panel discusses recent news stories. Some are silly and ridiculous, but most are stories of situations in the church and Christians witness in the public square. A set of friends talk out loud through the stories together, trying to discern what Jesus is calling the Church to at this moment. The second half of the show features an interview with an author of a recent book, typically connected to Christian public witness, whether that entails social justice, church leadership, spiritual formation, or the history behind recent trends in white evangelicalism. Each episode is definitely entertaining. Sometimes it can be depressing to witness the current state of the church in America. Yet it is also hopeful as it features Christians seeking to be faithful in a moment where much of the Church seems unmoored from the life of Jesus and takes seriously the call to discipleship.

5. Renovare

The Renovare Podcast is the first podcast I began to follow regularly. A college friend introduced it to me during a prayer group meeting during my first semester of seminary. As someone who easily lives in my brain and approaches my faith primarily through study and thinking, this podcast continues to challenge me six years later. The podcast focuses on conversations about spiritual formation, spiritual disciplines, and creating space in our lives to encounter the Holy Spirit who molds and shapes us when we are open to Him. It confronts our busy culture with a quiet, contemplative life that seeks to follow Christ through prayer and only afterward expresses it in actions. It is a corrective to a church culture that has focused discipleship on teaching information. Renovare encourages us to be present to God in our lives. Their second podcast, Friends in Formation, covers similar issues but is focused on answering listener questions in a round-table discussion.

6. The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

Christianity Today’s miniseries on Mark Driscoll and his multi-campus megachurch was a viral and awards success when it came out in 2021. I was one of many listeners hooked on the well-produced documentary-style series. I had once been an avid follower of Mark Driscoll, listening to his preaching regularly. I remember when Mars Hill folded under his scandals when I was in college. A friend of mine and I talked regularly, trying to process what had happened. Seeing Driscoll so quickly restored and planting another church in Arizona was one of the moments that gave me pause about what was happening in Young, Restless, and Reformed spaces. At a similar time, I was facing challenges in a Reformed denomination that amplified the experience. I continue to carry suspicions from that event, and the dust has not settled around my theology ever since. I found this series helpful to unpack what happened and rethink what I learned from Driscoll’s preaching. Bonus episodes provide insight into healing from church trauma.

7. The Bible Project

The Bible Project Podcast is one of the most popular Christian podcasts today, and it is justified. The Bible Project produces excellent content from their new app to their videos to their podcast. They take deep dives into Scripture, drawing on the best scholarship, to help Christians engage the Bible carefully and learn the story that leads to Jesus. Co-host Tim Mackie is a biblical scholar (he prefers the label “Bible nerd”). His co-host, Jon Collins, is a long-time Christian, though not a scholar himself, and serves as a proxy for the audience, asking questions and summarizing Tim’s teaching. This back-and-forth helps clarify challenging concepts in biblical studies. They highlight how God has spoken through these human texts and help Christians understand how biblical books are written, develop their themes, echo one another, and ultimately lead to Jesus. In all, it is easy to listen to and features meaty content clearly communicated. I leave each episode with a deeper love for the Scriptures.

8. The Living Church

This delightful show covers a wide range of topics from culture to Scripture to theology to history to current events to ministry practices. It comes from a conservative Episcopal perspective, leaning towards the Anglo-Catholic side of the Episcopal Church. This is the best podcast I have found from within my own Anglican tradition. I love listening to it and learning from it. In many ways, because it is my tradition, this podcast feels the most comfortable to listen to. Even if it does not regularly challenge me, it leads me to deeper reflection within my branch of the Christian Church. The substance of each episode is always beautiful and points to the life of Jesus all disciples are called to follow, rooted in liturgical practice.

9. Amon Sul

This niche podcast explores the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien from an Eastern Orthodox perspective. Now, Tolkien himself was Roman Catholic, but his own medieval scholarship and affinity with pre-modern thought overlaps with the Eastern Orthodox Church. Each episode features deep dives into the lore of my favorite fiction author alongside connections to Eastern Orthodox liturgical practices, biblical interpretation, and theological themes. While the episodes are lengthy, they are fascinating and thought-provoking. They always teach me something about my favorite writer and about a Christian tradition I am less familiar with. Be warned that it can be very nerdy!

10. The Russell Moore Show

On the Church map, Russell Moore probably fits closest to the Holy Post podcast. He is a white evangelical who is deeply concerned about the state of Christian public witness and public theology. Yet his show is more serious and less quirky than the Holy Post. Episodes vary, but most focus on theological reflections on culture, social issues, and politics. Often he interviews another church leader to dialogue on a given topic. Other episodes involve him answering listener questions. A unique format he employs is “Tell Me I’m Wrong.” In these episodes, he interviews a Christian leader he disagrees with on a particular issue and does not argue with them but lets them explain their position while he asks clarifying questions. Afterward, he reflects on what he learned from them while refraining from critique. These episodes provide an excellent example of thoughtfully listening and learning from others with different perspectives to strengthen how we think through issues. Dr. Moore has a reputation for integrity and his commitment to following Jesus in public life. This podcast is an excellent example of exactly that.